The Doctor and the Debutante
by Time Lady
Summary: CHAPTER 3 up 8-24-01! A doctor (Jyou), a college student (Iori) and two debutantes (Mimi & Catherine) are on their way to different parts of the universe when their lives are suddenly forced together by fate. Ch 3: The castaways begin searching for the h
1. Journey's End

The Doctor and the Debutante  
  
Chapter 1 - Journey's End  
  
By Time Lady  
  
-------------------------------------  
  
Author's notes: This is a futuristic alternate reality story set in about the year 2300. The digidestined range in ages 19 to 26.  
  
Ages:  
Jyou: 26  
Mimi: 23  
Taichi: 24  
Yamato: 24  
Sora: 24  
Koushirou: 23  
Jun: 24  
Miyako: 22  
Ken: 21  
Takeru: 21  
Hikari: 21  
Daisuke: 21  
Iori: 19  
  
Miscellaneous other Digidestined - ages 18 to 27  
  
---  
  
"I hate long trips," thought Mimi Tachikawa as she brushed her hair out of her face. "You would think by now space travel would be faster." The first class lounge was rather empty. Not that she was surprised. Few people of means traveled to the God forsaken part of the universe where she was supposed to meet her fiancé. And those who did probably had their own private ships. Unlike her family. They were borderline. Wealthy enough to afford hired help, fancy personal transports, jewelry, and designer clothing. . .the luxury items that separated them from the lower classes. But not wealthy enough to own a space ship.  
  
Hopefully her engagement to the heir of Ishida Mining would change that. Yamato was handsome, charming, wealthy. . . everything a girl could want. He showered her with expensive and rare gifts. But there was something lacking in the relationship that she couldn't put her finger on. Maybe if they got to know each other better. She had only met him face to face about a dozen times since the marriage had been arranged. Her and Yamato's aunts had gone to the same private schools and were still good friends, though long distance friends.  
  
Mimi bit her lower lip when she thought of her aunt - the woman who had been her guardian for the last 10 years. When her parents died, her mother's sister was Mimi's only living relative. Though the woman gave Mimi the best, Mimi often felt as if she were unwanted, her only value coming in this arranged marriage (her aunt had three sons). Mimi had learned early on not to talk about her father, whom her aunt deemed unsuitable as a husband for Mimi's mother. Her aunt spent the last 10 years drilling into her niece that Mimi now owed her living to her, so she shouldn't complain about the arrangement. "If she cared so much about me marrying her friend's nephew, why isn't she coming with me?" thought Mimi, even though she knew the answer. The old woman hated traveling long distances on passenger liners as much as she did, and the old woman was too proud to ask her niece's fiancé to send their own transport.  
  
She saw her shadowy reflection in the glass of the viewing dome. "I hope I have some time to rest before we meet. Space travel just does not agree with me," she thought.  
  
To distract herself, Mimi looked around the first class lounge. An older woman reminding Mimi of her aunt sat at a table attempting to argue with a serving droid while an older man looked on. Across the lounge sat a young man she had seen there regularly. His nose was always pressed against the screen of a book reader. No wonder he needed glasses she thought.  
  
Not many people were in first class on this particular ship. The rest were probably in their rooms or on one of the activity decks. Mimi was tired of being alone at that point. The older couple was still arguing with the droid. She stood and walked over to the table where the young man sat. As she drew nearer, she noticed his hair had a bluish tinge, rather than being totally black. On the table beside him were more book cartridges for the reader. All of them were long titles of medical journals. "Mind if I join you?" she asked. Startled, he looked up at her. She realized his eyes behind the glasses were about the same color as his hair.   
  
"Ah. . . um . . sure. . ." he stammered. Pretty young women never seemed to speak to him. But then, there was virtually no one else in the lounge at this time. She was probably just bored.  
  
"So what brings you on this long, tedious trip?"  
  
"I just finished attending a medical conference on Betarius. You?"  
  
"I'm on my way to join up with my fiancee," she replied.  
  
"Oh." Jyou realized he was right. Who was he kidding? Attractive women were never interested in him. She was bored and looking for someone to talk to on this long trip. "Getting married soon?"  
  
"Yes." Mimi glanced at the engagement ring Yamato presented her with on his last visit to her homeworld. The diamond was almost like a chunk of ice on her finger. "I should be able to finalize the arrangements once I arrive. Our families have given us 2 months after my arrival to hold the ceremony." She felt the young doctor's eyes studying her.  
  
"Pre-wedding jitters, huh?"  
  
"You could say that."   
  
Jyou stared off out the viewing port. He had one week before reaching his homeworld. As much as he loved being a doctor, there was something lacking in his life. Or somethings. He just didn't know. The trip to Betarius had been out of necessity. Two weeks going there, a week at the conference, two weeks to get back home. He needed a long vacation to try and get his head together. It didn't help. Neither did sitting across from an extremely attractive young woman who was already engaged.  
  
"Thinking about someone back home?" prompted Mimi.  
  
"Not really." Jyou gathered his book cartridges. "If you'll excuse me, I need to go check messages. The doctor who has been covering my patients has been having difficulty with one particular patient."   
  
"Maybe I'll see you later."  
  
"Maybe." Jyou beat a speedy retreat.   
  
"Interesting young man," thought Mimi as she watched him go. "I didn't even get his name though," she realized when he was gone.  
  
---  
  
Jyou collapsed onto his bed. With one careless comment, the woman had hit the problem on the head. There _was_ no one waiting for him when he got home. Well, no one other than a load of patients. Sighing, he began checking his messages. Mrs. Matsumoto was complaining about her nerves. Mr. Shingo had fallen and sprained his ankle. Nothing major. He began following up on about 2 dozen messages left for him. Travel in deep space made it inconvenient to send live messages except in emergencies, so pre-recorded vid-mail messages had to do. Most of the messages were from patients and from the doctor handling his load. A couple of messages were from his brothers. He finished just about time for dinner.  
  
Lying back on his bed, his hands behind his head, Jyou considered ordering room service. "Who am I kidding? I can't spend the next week here in my room," he told himself. "Besides, this is a big ship. I'll probably never see her again."   
  
As he walked into the first class dining room, he found he was totally wrong. She was sitting alone at a small table studying a menu. All of the first class passengers had apparently decided to dine at the same time. Not a single table was available. He scanned the room for another empty spot at a table, but she saw him and waved him over. Jyou swallowed his nervousness and approached her table. "Good evening," he said.  
  
"Good evening," she returned with a smile. "After you had left, I realized I didn't get your name."  
  
"Jyou. Jyou Kido."  
  
"And I'm Mimi Tachikawa," returned the woman. Jyou noticed her hair was pulled up into a chignon and fastened with glittering clips. "Won't you join me?"  
  
"Thank you," returned Jyou as he pulled out his chair. He sat down and reached for a menu, very aware of Mimi's eyes on him.  
  
Jyou spent the next hour eating in a nervous silence. Mimi, however, talked up a blue streak. In fact, she didn't stop, except for bites of food. Everything she talked about appeared. . . superficial to Jyou. Fashion, jewelry, celebrities, gossip. . . he found himself rapidly becoming disinterested in conversation. He soon began wondering if there was anything else here to this woman besides high society. After another few moments, he was contemplating how to make a polite exit.  
  
Then, without warning, the spaceship shook. Murmurs spread throughout the first class passengers. "What was that?" asked Mimi, pausing in her discussion of a particular celebrity marriage.  
  
"I don't know," returned Jyou, thankful for the pause. "Perhaps something happened with the ship's stabilizers."  
  
Another tremor rocked the ship. This one shook the chandeliers and the seats. One or two of the passengers fell out of their seats. The room became eerily silent. The loudspeaker cut through the silence like a laser. "Attention all passengers. This is your captain speaking. We are experiencing some technical difficulties. While we endeavor to get things under control, we ask that you please return to your cabins. I repeat, please return to your cabins. Thank you for being patience with this inconvenience."  
  
Grumbling and complaining, most of the first class passengers began to depart the dining room. "Well, at least we finished our meal," commented one of the older men.  
  
"How disgraceful!" complained the old lady from the lounge earlier as her husband escorted her out of the room. "I shall most certainly complain to the corporation about this."  
  
"We should go," said Jyou.  
  
Nodding, Mimi stood and followed him out of the dining room. As they walked down the corridor towards their cabins. Occasionally, the ship rocked beneath their feet. "Do you think it's a malfunction somewhere?" she asked.  
  
"No. If it were a malfunction, the rocking would be constant. Maybe it's a meteor storm," returned Jyou. Instinct told him otherwise. He'd traveled through meteor storms before. This didn't really feel the same. If you listened carefully, the impact didn't sound quite the same either. . . . Suddenly, the ship lurched sideways. Jyou grabbed Mimi's arm to keep her steady. "I'll walk you back to your cabin," he offered.  
  
"Thank you," returned Mimi, a tremor in her voice. As they walked down the corridor towards the first class cabins, the ship rocked and lurched.   
  
Jyou kept pushing the thought that this was more than a meteor storm out of his mind. He didn't want to worry Mimi. The ship lurched again. Mimi fell into Jyou, knocking him into the wall. "OW!"  
  
"Are you okay?" asked Mimi.  
  
"Yeah. Just banged my shoulder." They made it down to Mimi's cabin.   
  
"Thank you," said Mimi again. Then she looked right into his eyes and said "This isn't a meteor storm or technical difficulties, is it?"  
  
"I don't know," admitted Jyou. "But the way the ship is rocking, I'd suggest you have all your most important belongings packed into a case, just in case of emergency." Mimi's eyes went wide. Before she could ask Jyou anything else, he was gone.  
  
Jyou made it back to his own cabin a few moments later and began packing those things he felt most urgent into a carryall. As he put his medical equipment in, he could hear his brothers admonishing him for being a fatalist. "That's your problem Jyou," Shin would say. "You always think things are going to turn out worse than they are."   
  
"That's why all the hypochondriacs love him," Shuu would return.   
  
He never cared. Things weren't always as bad as he would expect, but at least he was prepared for the worst if it came about. He fit his book reader and cartridges in the bag, along with some instant food packets he brought, just in case he didn't like the food he found on the trip. Once all the things Jyou felt were essential were packed, he threw in a few articles of clothing. The carryall was stuffed to the limits, but he knew he was better off having one small bag in an emergency. Besides, new clothing could always be bought or found.  
  
Inside her cabin, Mimi paced. "What if he's right?" she was thinking. "If we have to evacuate, I'd lose _everything_. Auntie would be furious with me if I lost the jewelry, or the fur stole, or. . . ." Her mind began contemplating a dozen different things she knew she didn't want to lose. In fact, she didn't want to lose any of her belongings. . . .  
  
---  
  
For a half hour the ship tilted, lurched, rocked, and shook. Jyou was certain he heard explosions. All of the viewers were cut off and the portholes darkened. Something was going on and the ship's crew didn't want anyone to know about it. Then the lights began flashing on and off.  
  
"Attention passengers," announced the captain. "Please remain calm. We request that you advance to the nearest escape pods. . ." The rest of the announcement was lost to Jyou as he picked up his bag and walked to the door of his cabin, which was now open. Dimly over the panicked screams of the first class passengers he heard something about space pirates, failing engines, reduced life support.   
  
He was jostled about while he tried to remain calm amidst the mayhem. His mind flashed back to his emergency room training. "It does the patients no good if you panic. Even if the whole hospital is coming down around you, stay calm," said the instructor. Taking a deep, cleansing breath, he forged ahead, praying he'd make it to an escape pod in time.   
  
"Someone help me please!" he heard a soft, female voice cry out. The masses of people struggling through the corridor seemed to ignore it. "Please," she pleaded.  
  
Jyou forced his way towards the voice. He found Mimi on the floor, one of her suitcases open and being trampled. "Come on," he said. "There isn't time."  
  
"But my clothing. . . my makeup. . ." protested Mimi as he helped her up. Jyou scooped up a couple of pieces of her clothing, pushed the smaller, closed case into Mimi's hands, then grasped her arm.  
  
"There's no time," he hissed. The crowd began to sweep them along the corridor. "We have to get to the escape pods."  
  
Each floor was equipped with a certain number of escape pods, which could fit a maximum of six people. Jyou and Mimi found themselves overcrowded into a pod with the old couple from the lounge, a young woman with blonde hair, a teenage boy with short brown hair, and two humanoid-appearing, blue skinned beings of a species Jyou and Mimi didn't recognize immediately. Jyou knew they didn't breathe air, as the globes around their heads seemed to contain some sort of gas that went to exchangers on the aliens' belts. Despite being overcrowded, more people were trying to squeeze in. A portly human man squeezed into the already tight space just as the door slid shut.   
  
"We must strap in," said one of the aliens.   
  
"There's not enough seats," complained the old woman.  
  
"Some of us are going to have to double up in seats," said Jyou as he stuffed his and Mimi's packs into the storage unit.  
  
"I refuse to share my seat," returned the woman. "My husband and I were here first!"  
  
"My biomate and I are slender enough to share one of the safety chambers," said the other alien. The two sat closely enough in one glass-covered chamber so that it encompassed both of them.  
  
"Good idea," said Jyou. He studied the two younger people. "I think you and I can squeeze into a chamber," he said to the teenage boy.  
  
"All- all right," he returned. It was a tight fit, but both he and Jyou managed to squeeze into the chamber.  
  
"We might as well do the same," said Mimi to the blonde woman. She didn't appear much younger than Mimi herself.  
  
"Oui. I agree," said the woman in a French accent. She was very petite and easily fit into the chamber beside Mimi. The portly man began squeezing into a chamber, as did each of the older couple.  
  
The last thing any of them remembered was their safety chambers closing, then dropping in temperature and putting the inhabitants into stasis.  
  
---  
  
On a planet a long distance from the last known coordinates of the space liner, a young secretary walked into a plush office of the Ishida Mining corporation. She was rather surprised to find the office still occupied after hours  
  
Jun Motomiya entered the office, then paused. Smiling, she shook her head and sighed. Her employer lounged back in his executive chair, his feet propped on the desk, watching a zero-G soccer game on 3-D holovision. "So what's the score?"  
  
Startled, Yamato Ishida sat up abruptly and muted the sound. "I thought everyone else had gone home."  
  
"Your father wanted reports on the quadrant 4 mines by tomorrow morning," she returned with a shrug. "And what are you doing here?"  
  
He grinned sheepishly. "I tuned in the game and lost track of the time."  
  
Jun glanced at the holovision. She instantly recognized one of the teams. Yamato turned the sound back on. ". . . And the Comets are certainly burning bright this evening," said the announcer. "Particularly their lead scorer, Daisuke Motomiya. He already has two goals and we aren't even at the break yet. . ."  
  
"Looks like Daisuke's aiming for MVP," mused Jun. "He's always. . ." Jun paused when a news bulletin suddenly interrupted the game.  
  
"We apologize for the interruption," said the newscaster. "We will return to the zero-G soccer playoffs in a moment. Our station has received this late breaking report. Space pirates attacked an interplanetary space liner. The ship, a space liner belonging to Unica Transport, broadcast a SOS signal. Authorities are proceeding to the last reported location. We will bring you details as they are revealed. To repeat. . ."  
  
"Unica Transport?" said Jun. "Isn't that the liner company your fiancee was traveling?"  
  
"Yes," said Yamato. "But we don't know if that was Mimi's ship."  
  
"Do you want me to start making inquiries?"  
  
"Not yet. Let's see what other information comes up first." Yamato stared thoughtfully at the holovision and listened to the sketchy details available.  
  
---  
  
  
"Are they awake yet?" said a strange, white creature.  
  
"It looks like a few of them are waking up," said a creature with a flower for a face. "The ones over here are, at least. I don't know about those others."  
  
"I don't know," said a yellow creature with a hard carapace. "The chests on the ones over here seem to move. The other ones don't."  
  
"Hey," said a green creature with a flower on top of its head, "the one with the funny thing on his face seems to be waking up!" Her three companions bounded over and gathered around.  
  
"Unnngggghh. . .," groaned Jyou. Obviously he wasn't in the safety chamber anymore. Under his fingers he felt grass. His eyes flew open. The young doctor found four faces staring down at him. "GAAAAHHH!!!" he screamed. He tried to get away, but his body was very lethargic after the stasis.  
  
"He's awake," said the white creature.  
  
  
to be continued  
  
Author's notes: I didn't think I'd start posting this until it was finished, but I need feedback on how it's going. What I'm going to do is try to stay at least a chapter ahead in my writing (meaning I'll always have one chapter more that's waiting in the wings).  
  
Here's a status on the other stories:  
  
ATPOV - Parent Teacher Night: 40% complete  
Digiquest for Glory - So you want to be a hero, Chapter 6: Just starting  
Angels Love: on the backburner - I think more needs to happen between Takangemon and Karangewomon before I get to this story  
Angels Return: moved in front of Angels Love, but waiting until I come up with a good idea as to why the angels would have to return to the real world.  
ATPOV - Field Day: I'll probably start this one soon. Field day was last Friday at my school.  
The Seekers - about 5% done and on the backburner. I can only write so much at one time ^^;  
  
I had been planning on posting an original story I've been working on (a novel) but have had a sudden setback. Meaning that all my edited versions are gone from all my disks. Now all I have is a semi-edited hard copy and an unrevised Word file. So that will have to wait.  
  
BTW, if anyone will be attending Project A-Kon in Dallas, TX the first weekend in June, I'll be there. You'll find me either at the writing seminar, the fanfiction roundtable, the cell painting class, or lurking somewhere in the dealers room spending way too much money (though most likely I'll be at the table in the Komik Market with my parents - If anyone wants a really good cookbook, we have some for sale).  



	2. Spaceship Wrecked

The Doctor and the Debutante  
  
Chapter 2 - Spaceship Wrecked  
  
By Time Lady  
  
-------------------------------------  
  
  
"Are they awake yet?" said a strange, white creature.  
  
"It looks like a few of them are waking up," said a creature with a flower for a face. "The ones over here are, at least. I don't know about those others."  
  
"I don't know," said a yellow creature with a hard carapace. "The chests on the ones over here seem to move. The other ones don't."  
  
"Hey," said a green creature with a flower on top of its head, "the one with the funny thing on his face seems to be waking up!" Her three companions bounded over and gathered around.  
  
"Unnngggghh. . .," groaned Jyou. Obviously he wasn't in the safety chamber anymore. Under his fingers he felt grass. His eyes flew open. The young doctor found four faces staring down at him. "GAAAAHHH!!!" he screamed. He tried to get away, but his body was very lethargic after the stasis.  
  
"He's awake," said the white creature.  
  
"You. . . you speak standard?" asked Jyou, surprised that he understood the creature.  
  
"Yes," returned the flower-faced one.   
  
Jyou sat up, took off his glasses, and rubbed his eyes. Then he looked around. Lush vegetation surrounded him. Nearby was the remains of the escape pod. Mimi and the two teens were nearby, lying on the grass. Further away he could see the old couple, the portly man, and the two blue-skinned beings. His medical instincts took over. Here were eight patients in need of emergency assistance. As lousy as he felt, the patients came first.  
  
"Don't move so fast," said the yellow creature. "You've all had quite a bump."  
  
Ignoring the creature, Jyou managed to get to his knees and crawl over to Mimi. He checked her pulse, then breathed a sigh of relief. She was alive. Then he checked the blonde woman and the young man he had shared the safety chamber with. Both of them were alive as well. The young man was first beginning to move. "Lie still," whispered Jyou. "Let me see if I can get my medical kit."  
  
"Wha happen'd?"  
  
"We crashed on a planet," returned Jyou as he managed to get to his feet.  
  
"You really should be resting," said the white creature.  
  
"I'm a doctor. I need to get my medical kit, if it survived." Jyou stumbled towards the remains of the pod. He was visited with a gruesome sight. Near the pod were the crumpled bodies of the old couple. From the state of the bodies, he knew they hadn't made it. The portly gentleman was laid out near them. His face was a ghostly white, his eyes wide open in fear. "Poor guy," said Jyou as he checked for a pulse, then closed his eyes. "I don't think his safety chamber closed properly. They weren't made for people his size." The two blue-skinned aliens were also nearby, the domes on their heads smashed.  
  
"They didn't make it, did they?" asked the white creature as it looked at Jyou curiously.   
  
"No. The older couple must have been on the side that hit the ground. . . and the other two probably suffocated when their breathing system enclosures broke," replied Jyou as he forced himself into doctor mode. The patients were DOA. There was nothing that could be done for them. If he had been called to the scene on any planet, the situation would have been the same. Resolutely, Jyou cautiously entered the remains of the escape pod. The door was askew, but the storage unit was still intact. He slung his carryall over his shoulder, then picked up a stuffed backpack, the case he knew was Mimi's, and another case.   
  
The white creature stuck his head inside and pulled out another case. "Hey Palmon, Floramon," he called to his companions. "You guys are a bit more mobile. Can you give me a hand getting this stuff out? If it's important, we want to have it out of here before Vadermon finds out and tries to scavenge whatever's here." The two flowered creatures joined their companion and began searching for anything important while Jyou brought the remaining packs to the surviving travelers.  
  
"Where are we?" asked the young man as he sat up. He looked at the yellow creature, which was still sitting next to him. "Do you know where we landed?"  
  
"I haven't got a clue," said Jyou as he pulled his medical kit out of his carryall. "What's your name?"  
  
"Iori. Iori Hida."  
  
"I'm Jyou Kido. And I'm a doctor. Now let me check you over before Mimi and the other woman come to."  
  
Iori's eyes focused on the yellow creature next to him. "What are you?" he asked.  
  
"I'm Armadillomon," said the creature. He pointed towards his friends, who were returning with whatever they could carry from the pod. "That's Gomamon," he said, pointing at the white creature. Then he pointed at the one with the flower on top of the head. "And that's Palmon. The other is Floramon."  
  
"But what are you?" asked Jyou as he bandaged a cut on Iori's hand.  
  
"Other creatures like us?" asked Iori.  
  
"There's a village of creatures like you living in a village just through the mountains. One of 'em called us Digimon," said Armadillomon. "He calls this planet the Digital World."  
  
"I heard about that in my science class," said Iori, his eyes going wide. "The Digital World is considered some sort of enigma, where all of the creatures are made up of data."  
  
"Impossible," returned Jyou. He was interrupted by screams from Mimi and the young woman, who had apparently woken up. With a sigh, he said to Iori "Come on, let's get them calmed down, then figure out what we're going to do."  
  
Mimi stared at the two flower-like creatures staring back at them. "JYOU!" she shouted.  
  
"I'm right here Mimi," he replied.  
  
"Jyou, what's going on!?!" she demanded.  
  
"Take it easy Mimi," he said, slipping into his best bedside manner for dealing with hysterical patients, difficult when he was on the verge of hysteria himself. "We crash landed. You're going to be okay. Now let me check you out."  
  
"I DON'T WANT TO BE CHECKED OUT! I WANT TO WAKE UP AND FIND OUT THIS WAS ALL A BAD DREAM!" shrieked Mimi. Armadillomon and Gomamon covered their ears.  
  
"Loud creatures, aren't they?" mused Armadillomon.  
  
A few minutes later, Jyou finished checking out Mimi and the other young lady, who they discovered was named Catherine. In the meanwhile, Iori had been talking with the Digimon. He came over to Jyou, Mimi, and Catherine. "From what I gather, there is a village of humans, or at least humanoid beings, about a four day walk from here," he said.  
  
"A four day walk!" exclaimed Mimi.  
  
"I do not know if I can walk zat far," added Catherine, a little more quietly.   
  
"Besides, how will we find it?" added Jyou. "We don't even know where to go."  
  
"We'll take you," offered Gomamon.   
  
"Yeah," added Armadillomon. "I've been through there a couple of times. Getting there should be easy."  
  
"First things first," said Jyou. "If anyone's going to try and find us, they're going to home in on the pod. We should at least try and find the homing beacon."  
  
"My papa designs zee space ships," said Catherine. "I believe I can find it."  
  
"All right," said Jyou. "Mimi, you stay here and watch the bags. Iori, Catherine, and I will try and find the homing beacon and anything else we may need."  
  
"Jyou, don't leave me here with. . . these. . ." began Mimi.  
  
"Digimon," said Palmon. "Don't worry about us. Compared to some of the other Digimon, we're relatively harmless."  
  
"Other Digimon?" said Mimi.  
  
"Relatively harmless?" added Jyou.  
  
"Let's just say, it's going to get dark soon," said Armadillomon. "I'm certain you don't want to sleep here." He looked over at the bodies of their traveling companions.  
  
"Are there any hotels nearby?" asked Catherine.  
  
"Hotels? What are hotels?" asked Floramon.  
  
"No hotels?" whimpered Mimi.  
  
"Mon Dieu!" added Catherine.  
  
"This is going to be a long four days. . ." muttered Iori.  
  
Jyou, Iori, and Catherine began searching the remains of the pod while Mimi convinced the Digimon to dig a large hole. "You want to do what?" asked Palmon.  
  
"Give the bodies a burial," explained Mimi. "Don't you bury your dead?"  
  
"When a Digimon dies, its body returns to data and is reconfigured at the Primary Village," explained Floramon. "We don't have any bodies to bury."  
  
"Well, I don't mind digging," said Armadillomon, who began digging a trench. "Even if the reason makes no sense."  
  
---  
  
"Zere is very little zat is working," said Catherine as she examined the computer systems. "Zere is no power anywhere."  
  
"I don't think we would have survived if the Digimon wouldn't have pulled us out of the safety chambers," mused Jyou. "Iori, let's see what we might need." The two men began checking compartments while Catherine examined the computers.  
  
"I found the emergency supplies," said Iori as he examined a panel. The electronic controls no longer functioned, so he took a piece of scrap metal and began prying at the panel.   
  
"Take anything that you think might be of value," said Gomamon, his head peeping over the side of the pod.  
  
"How come?" asked Jyou.  
  
"If you don't, scavenger Digimon, like Vadermon, will take whatever is left, including the tiniest piece of wire. You might have to barter things along the way. And there might be something they need in the human village."  
  
Jyou gathered the rest of the items from the baggage compartment, even those belonging to the now deceased parties. He reasoned that since the others were dead, not only would they no longer need their belongings. If they were rescued, they could return the things to the families.   
  
"AYE!" exclaimed Catherine. "Zee homing beacon, it is smashed!"  
  
"Oh great," said Jyou, sitting down on a piece of rubble. "That means we're going to be here for a while longer than we thought."  
  
"Well, look on the bright side," said Gomamon. "At least you're not alone. There's four of you, plus the four of us, and however many humans are in the village."  
  
Jyou rolled his eyes. "Are you always so optimistic?"  
  
"We probably won't go cold or hungry," interrupted Iori as he finished pulling off the panel. He pulled out the contents. "There's two survival domes, micropacked food, medical supplies. . ." Jyou's ears perked up at the last. "Even if we don't find any village, we still have enough supplies for a month or two."  
  
"A month?" exclaimed Catherine. "My papa, my mama. . . we were separated on ze ship. . . I do not know if zey survived. . ."  
  
"They'll be fine," said Iori, coming over and patting her shoulder. "They probably escaped in one of the other escape pods."  
  
"Come on," said Jyou. "We shouldn't leave Mimi alone so long."  
  
The three gathered whatever they could carry. Gomamon led them back to the others. They found Armadillomon had dug a deep trench. Palmon and Floramon were just putting the last of the bodies into the trench. Mimi had gathered some strange flowers that the Digimon assured her were just plain flowers. "I couldn't just leave them here," said Mimi, a tear in her eyes.  
  
"I understand," returned Jyou. "Too bad we don't know their names. Otherwise we could erect some sort of marker."  
  
Armadillomon began pushing dirt back into the makeshift grave. "Seems like a strange custom to me."   
  
"Burial is an ancient practice," explained Jyou. "Many human cultures don't find it acceptable to just leave bodies lying about. Though when land space became a consideration on many planets, cremation became more popular. Different societies have different ways of dealing with the dead though," he replied, lapsing into his clinical mode of speaking. It helped him deal with situations he was uncomfortable discussing.  
  
"Humans aren't reconfigured the way we are," said Palmon. "At least, that's what Rosemon told me."  
  
Respectfully, the humans had a few moments of silence with their heads bowed. Then Mimi lay the wreath on top of the soil.   
  
---  
  
"Why do I have to carry so much stuff?" whined Mimi.  
  
"I agree," added Catherine. "It is not ladylike for us to carry zee large bags."  
  
Jyou and Iori tried not to roll their eyes in exasperation. They had spent the last half-hour consolidating the items pulled from the escape pods into easy to carry packs. Mimi and Catherine had been given the lightest packs, but were making a huge fuss about it. Even the Digimon were carrying supplies.  
  
"Fine," said Jyou. "Leave them. But don't complain to me when you don't have a change of clothing, or enough food, or the right medicine."  
  
"We are on a relatively unknown planet," added Iori. "We may or may not find other humanoid life forms. We may _never_ get rescued. And because of your stupid vanity, we may not have enough supplies to make it long enough for anyone to attempt to rescue us." The young man's forest green eyes sparked in anger. He was tired and hungry and wanted to move as far away from the wreckage as he could. At the rate they were going, they would have to set up camp where they were to be ready before dark.  
  
Mimi was incensed. To think that the future wife of a corporate bigwig would have to carry her own bags. She was about to protest further when Catherine sighed and picked up her packs. "It is not worth arguing over," said the younger girl. "I do not wish to sleep so close to where we buried zee bodies. And, zee farther we go now, zee sooner we reach zee village."  
  
Defeated, Mimi picked up her pack. With Palmon leading the way, the group began hiking towards a large mountain. Jyou walked next to Mimi. She walked with a scowl on her face. "I don't like lugging these packs around either," he said, "But we need these things to survive." She didn't reply. "If I had my choice, I'd be anywhere but here," he continued. "The choice wasn't ours. The pod's computer probably chose this as the nearest planet with the closest atmosphere to our own."  
  
Jyou's mind wandered as they walked through a wooded area. "With an attitude like that, Mimi is _not_ going to last long here," he thought. "She's a spoiled little rich girl who has had everything handed to her on a silver platter. She's no different than half my patients."  
  
Catherine also seemed to grumble to herself. Iori walked beside her. "Where are we going to stop?" he asked Armadillomon. "It's been a really hard day for all of us."  
  
"There's a clearing a little way from here," replied Armadillomon.   
  
"Oh good," said Jyou, pushing his glasses up. "I'm getting really tired."  
  
"My feet are killing me," whined Mimi. "I'm hungry, and I'm getting cold."  
  
"We're almost there," said Palmon. Like everyone else, she was getting tired of Mimi's whining. Finally they reached the clearing. Iori noticed that not only did there seem to be a definite shape to the clearing, but that the soil seemed denser.  
  
"Is it my imagination, or does this clearing look like a giant footprint?" asked Iori.  
  
"Legends say it is a giant footprint of a now extinct Digimon," said Floramon. "Thousands of years ago, it stamped its foot so hard that the soil compacted and nothing can grow in it."  
  
"Giant, extinct Digimon. Wonderful," muttered Jyou. "And this is where we're spending the night? In a giant footprint?"  
  
"Yep," replied Gomamon. "And there's a stream nearby with fresh water."  
  
"I don't care if it's a giant footprint or there's any streams," began Mimi. "I refuse to go another step." She dropped her pack and crossed her arms over her chest resolutely.  
  
"Me too," agreed Catherine.  
  
"I guess that settles it," said Iori as he set down his pack and began pulling out one of the compressed survival domes. Jyou did likewise. They set the domes down a short distance apart, then activated the expansion controls. The two compressed domes began to expand until they were large enough for several people to enter. They were made of a shiny, silvery polymer material that could withstand extremes in temperatures. Then Iori pulled out several thin, square packages and passed them around, even to the Digimon.  
  
"What is it?" asked Armadillomon as he sniffed the package suspiciously.  
  
"Emergency rations," said Jyou with a grimace. "Food that's been treated and vacuum sealed to last indefinitely on long space voyages."  
  
"Eww," said Palmon. "That doesn't sound very good."  
  
"It isn't supposed to be," said Jyou. "It's only supposed to satisfy an empty stomach and provide vital nutrients."  
  
Mimi stared at the package Iori handed her in disbelief. This all seemed surreal. It was a nightmare, and she had to wake up sooner or later. There was no way she could be stranded on a strange world full of freakish creatures with a doctor, the daughter of a spaceship designer, and a college student. She tried pinching herself, hoping she'd wake up on the ship. Or better yet, back on her homeworld. No matter how hard Mimi pinched herself, nothing changed. The package of rations sat on her lap.  
  
"I do no know if I can eat zis," complained Catherine.  
  
"You have to eat something," returned Jyou clinically. "I don't know how long we were in stasis, but your body needs solid food. Plus it will replenish your strength after the hike."  
  
"It isn't that bad really," said Gomamon.  
  
"Try taking it out of the package," returned Iori.  
  
"Like peeling a breefruit," said Floramon as she watched Iori, Jyou, and Catherine open their packages. The Digimon did likewise. Mimi still stared at hers.   
  
"Come on Mimi, open yours," coaxed Palmon. "Is it the same as mine?"  
  
"I don't know and I don't care!" snapped Mimi. She tossed her rations package to the ground and stormed into one of the survival domes. Catherine began to stand, but Jyou held her back.  
  
"Give her time. She needs to come to the realization that this is real all by herself," explained Jyou. "It probably still seems like some sort of crazy dream to her." Jyou looked up at the moonless sky.   
  
"It still feels like a dream to me, but I know it isn't," said Iori.   
  
"Was your family aboard zee ship?" asked Catherine.  
  
"No. I was on my way home from college," explained Iori. "My mother and grandfather will be worried. . . probably devastated. You see, my father was with the galactic police." Iori's voice lowered. "He was killed in an encounter with space pirates when I was about five."  
  
"Oh Iori, I am so sorry," said Catherine. "I should not have asked."  
  
"That's okay. I don't remember him very well anymore, except in holo-vids and images my mother still has."   
  
The group sat silently for a while. "It's getting late," said Floramon. "If we want to get an early start, we should go to bed."  
  
"Sounds like a good idea," said Jyou as he stifled a yawn. "Catherine, why don't you join Mimi in the dome. Iori and I will share the other."  
  
"All right." Catherine stood and walked over to the dome Mimi had entered before. Mimi was sound asleep on one of the inflatable mattresses covered with a silvery blanket. Briefly Catherine looked around. At least the manufacturers of the survival domes thought to include some sort of sanitary facility. Earlier on the hike she'd had to do the unthinkable and relieve herself behind a tree. She had felt mortified and filthy, but it was necessary. The sanitary facility wouldn't allow her to take the radiant cleansing she wanted. However, it would have to do.  
  
Ten minutes later she stepped out from behind the curtain of the sanitary facility. Floramon and Palmon were sitting on one of the mattresses.   
  
"We Digimon decided you humans would be safer if we stayed close to you," said Floramon. "Gomamon and Armadillomon are with the other two."  
  
"Merci," said Catherine. "I feel safer with a larger group." She sat down on the other mattress. "Will it be long before we reach zee other humans?"  
  
"That depends on how many times we have to stop to rest," said Floramon. "If we have to walk slowly and take a lot of breaks, we'll take much longer. A week maximum if we go steady. Longer if we don't."  
  
"Mon Dieu," muttered Catherine to herself as she lay back on the mattress.  
  
In the other tent, Iori and Jyou were having a similar discussion with Gomamon and Armadillomon. "A week or longer?" moaned Jyou. "I don't know if I brought enough of my allergy medicine. I don't even know what kind of effect this world's pollen will have on my sinuses."  
  
"Maybe it won't be so bad if we pretended we were like the ancient frontier people who forged their way into new lands," offered Iori.  
  
"I'm not looking forward to all that walking myself, but I'm kind of used to it from doing hospital rounds," returned Jyou. "But Mimi and Catherine seem to be another story."  
  
"What do you mean?" asked Gomamon.  
  
"They both come from very wealthy families," explained Jyou. "Or at least I know Mimi does. I'm just assuming with Catherine. But in our world, if you have enough money, you either hire people to do a lot of your manual labor, or purchase machines that do the work instead. Many times walking is even unnecessary. The sidewalks and paths do it for you."  
  
"That sounds weird," returned Armadillomon with a yawn.  
  
"We better call it a night," said Iori. "If we want to have the strength to travel tomorrow."  
  
to be continued  
  
Author's notes:   
  
The big countdown till the end of school has begun. Once school lets out, I hope I'll have some writing time (between lesson planning, cleaning, taking classes - no, summer isn't a rest for the teachers - we still have to work).  
  
I'm still working on the ATPOV - Parent/Teacher Night. I don't know why this is taking so long. Probably because I hate Parent/Teacher Night so much. Last time, I spent most of the evening translating for the teacher next door (most parents don't want to talk to the computer teacher).  
  
If anyone is going to be at Project A-Kon in Dallas June 1st to the 3rd, I will be there. You'll catch me either at the writing seminar or at the fanfiction panel.   
  



	3. Desperately Seeking Civilization

The Doctor and the Debutante  
  
Chapter 3 - Desperately Seeking Civilization  
  
By Time Lady  
  
-------------------------------------  
  
  
"Please let this all have been a dream," thought Mimi as she lay with her eyes closed. "Let me open my eyes and find myself back on the spaceship, or better yet, back home. . . ." Slowly Mimi opened her eyes. The shimmering fabric of the survival dome met her eyes. A tear rolled down her cheek as she sat up. Catherine was asleep on one of the mattresses. Those two strange creatures, Floramon and Palmon, were asleep on the other. Mimi sat there a moment just looking around. "It wasn't a dream. I really am stranded on some strange planet," she thought.  
  
Wiping away a tear, she crawled out from under her covers and staggered to the sanitary facility. Her stomach began protesting loudly. Mimi realized she hadn't eaten in God-knows how long. Quietly she finished her business and stepped outside.  
  
The sun had already risen. Looking around, Mimi realized the men's survival dome had been collapsed. Jyou sat on a fallen log next to the remains of their fire. He appeared to be going over some of the packs. Mimi's face reddened. She realized she had been incredibly rude to the others the day before. Particularly Jyou. Biting her lower lip, she moved forward. Her plan to approach him quietly was interrupted by a loud and extremely embarrassing rumble from her stomach.  
  
"You should have eaten something last night," said Jyou in a low, neutral voice.  
  
"I know."   
  
He handed Mimi a ration without looking up from his chore. She accepted the silvery package almost meekly. "Where is Iori?" she asked as she sat next to him on the log.  
  
Jyou meticulously arranged the items in the pack. "He went with Gomamon and Armadillomon to fill the canteens. I've already tested a water sample from the stream nearby. It's safe to drink." Mimi noticed the coolness to his tone.  
  
Inwardly sighing, she realized he was probably irritated with her attitude the day before. Mentally she cursed her aunt. "A lady never does what a droid or a servant can do," her aunt would say. Of course, her aunt never did an ounce of physical work in her life. A servo-droid carried the packages while a hover cart took her aunt shopping. And her aunt was never stranded on a backwater planet in the middle of nowhere.  
  
"I'm sorry for the way I acted yesterday," she said softly as she opened her ration package.  
  
Jyou tensed at her gentle tone. A wave of nervousness flowed through him. Women just didn't use that tone of voice with him. To hide his sudden discomfort, he reached for another of the packs and began arranging the contents.  
  
Mimi sensed that Jyou didn't seem to want to talk. She stared at the tray she removed from the package. On the tray were several bars, meant to be picked up and eaten. Mimi tried not to grimace as she picked up a brownish looking bar. She bit into it. It was sort of moist and rubbery. As hungry as she was, she made herself chew and swallow. The bar had a faintly meat-like taste to it. Curiously she picked up a greenish bar and took a bite. This one seemed to be some sort of vegetable bar. At least this one was more edible texture-wise. It tasted strange, but she ate it anyway. The last bar was sort of a beige color. Eating it was like eating an inch thick cracker. The dry bar crumbled as she chewed it. Crumbs stuck in the back of her throat. Mimi began coughing uncontrollably.  
  
At Mimi's first cough, Jyou looked up from his forced chore. When her coughing wouldn't stop, he reacted instantly. First he pounded on her back to clear any crumbs from her breathing passage. As her coughing eased off, he pulled a small pouch out of the pack he was arranging and tore off a corner. "Drink this," he said, holding the pouch to her mouth, his arm around her shoulders to steady her. Mimi complied, taking long drinks of some sort of flavored liquid.  
  
"Th- thank you," she managed after a few moments. "I shouldn't have eaten so fast."  
  
"No, it's my fault," returned Jyou, forgetting his arm was around her shoulder. "I didn't realize the bars might be so dry. I should have given you something to drink."  
  
Wearily Mimi rested her head against Jyou's chest. "Still, thank you." She could hear his heart begin to race. However, she didn't even try to move. The position she was in was rather comfortable.  
  
Jyou froze. The doctor started to feel like he was hyperventilating. His face burned, as did his chest exactly where Mimi's head rested. "This isn't happening. . . . this isn't happening. . . ," repeated over and over in his mind. His mind refused to acknowledge what his body was experiencing. A beautiful young woman was in close contact with him willingly. She didn't seem to want to move away. And Jyou didn't have the faintest idea what to do.  
  
"Bonjour," came Catherine's voice. Jyou practically jumped out of his skin. Mimi looked up to see Catherine standing at the door of the survival dome. "Am I. . . interrupting something?" asked the younger woman with an uplifted eyebrow.   
  
Mimi realized Jyou was starting to inch away from her. "Some crumbs went down my throat wrong," said Mimi by way of explanation. Catherine didn't seem convinced, but couldn't pursue the issue further as Iori and the two other Digimon returned.  
  
"All of the canteens are filled," announced Iori. He looked around and found Mimi blushing faintly. Catherine had one of those "I know something you don't know" expressions on her face. Jyou's face was bright red with beads of sweat. "Jyou, are you all right?"  
  
"I'm fine," managed Jyou. "I. . . didn't put any sunscreen on."  
  
"But there's not really any sun here in the forest," said Gomamon.  
  
"No one asked you," returned Jyou in a low voice.  
  
"Touchy," responded Gomamon.  
  
---  
  
While Catherine ate her ration, Jyou decompressed the ladies' survival dome. He needed to keep busy. The less he thought about what happened about 15 minutes ago, the better. Of course, he knew he might be making more of it than it really was. "She's engaged," he thought. "She was just grateful for my help before," he reasoned.  
  
"Hey Jyou," said Gomamon as he watched the human, "why is it taking so much longer to put this dome away? The other one was down in a couple of minutes."  
  
"Go away," replied Jyou tersely. He picked up the compressed dome and packed it into one of the packs.  
  
Jyou slung the pack over his shoulder and rejoined the others. Mimi and Catherine had changed their clothing, wisely choosing clothing suited to a long trek. He noticed that, while the clothing was more practical, it was also stylish and expensive. The women's low boots looked like they were designed for appearance, rather than for utility. The material of their stylish blouses and pants might not hold up if caught by branches. He had chosen for himself shoes that he normally wore on his rounds and held up to a lot of abuse, with sturdy clothing that would hold up under just about any situation. Iori was also wearing clothing that would hold up under their hike.  
  
"Ready Jyou?" called Iori.  
  
"Give me a sec." Jyou closed his pack and sealed it. No need to take chances on anything falling out. He hefted his pack up on his shoulders and slipped his arms through the straps. "All right. I'm ready."   
  
Mimi looked at the pack by her feet, then the pack on Jyou's back. Her pack, and Catherine's, appeared to be about half the size of the packs Jyou and Iori had. Guiltily she realized that the men were shouldering most of the burden. Even the Digimon were helping, though they barely knew each other.   
  
Armadillomon took the lead. He had been through the human village a few times and knew its location. Iori followed behind him, his eyes wide as he took in the lush flora. "This is amazing," he said in an awed voice. "I always lived in domed cities. The botanical gardens are nothing compared with this. Armadillomon, what is that plant over there?"  
  
"Hey, watch the path," said Jyou as Iori stumbled over a rock.  
  
"Lighten up," said Gomamon. "He's enjoying the view."  
  
"And if he breaks a bone, I don't know if I have the equipment to set it," returned Jyou.  
  
"Are you always so pessimistic?" asked Mimi after listening to the exchange.  
  
Jyou adjusted his glasses. "I prefer to think of it as being safe instead of sorry." He blushed faintly. Mimi attributed it to the sun, which began to peek through as the foliage became sparser.   
  
In fact, she began to feel warm as the morning wore on. Warm slowly became hot. Mimi made a conscious effort to not complain. If she felt as hot and tired as she was, she could only imagine that Jyou and Iori felt worse. If they weren't saying anything, she wouldn't. Catherine was another story.  
  
"This is ridiculous," she said in her lilting French accent. "Are we not going to stop until sundown?"  
  
"We probably should take a short break," agreed Jyou. "I just wanted to make sure we were going to cover enough ground. The further we go, the sooner we reach the village." He slid his backpack off and set it on a fallen log. Exhausted, Mimi sat down on a stump.  
  
"Do we have to eat those horrid rations?" asked Catherine.  
  
"No," said Jyou. "I have some energy snack bars I had packed for the trip. We'll probably be better off with one of those for now. Gomamon, let me get them out of your pack."  
  
"You're awfully quiet," Palmon said to Mimi as she sat down on the ground.  
  
"Is there something wrong with that?" returned Mimi.  
  
"No. But you don't seem like the type to be silent for long."  
  
"I'd rather save my energy for the hike." Mimi bit back any further response as Jyou approached her with two silver packets.  
  
"Here. This is an energy snack bar," he said as he handed her the first pack. "And this is nutritional drink. This should keep you going for another few hours."  
  
"Thank you," said Mimi with a smile. Jyou's face reddened. This exchange was not lost on Palmon. Or Catherine.  
  
"Trés intéressant," thought Catherine.  
  
Mimi watched as Jyou beat a hasty retreat to where Iori, Gomamon, and Armadillomon sat. "Jyou is a mystery, no?" asked Catherine as she sat next to Mimi.   
  
"What do you mean?" Mimi asked as she absently opened one of the packages.  
  
"One moment he is all business, next his face is red and he seems unable to speak to you."  
  
"I think he's shy," admitted Mimi in a low voice. "I noticed that aboard the ship."  
  
"Do you like him?"  
  
Mimi blinked in surprise. "He's a nice guy, but I'm engaged." Boy does that sound hollow, she thought, not noticing Catherine's smile.  
  
"Then your fiancee will be waiting for you."  
  
"I should hope so." Part of Mimi didn't really hope that Yamato would wait. "It's an arranged marriage. There are legal contracts and such."  
  
"Do you love him?"  
  
Do I? Mimi asked herself. "We hardly know each other."  
  
"Pauvre cher. But then, I am certain you would come to love each other."  
  
"So everyone says." Mimi glanced at Jyou, who was in an animated conversation with Gomamon and Iori. Armadillomon dozed next to them. "But what does everyone else know?" she thought.  
  
---  
  
The party hiked on for most of the rest of the day. They were quiet for the most part, the silence broken occasionally by one of the Digimon to give directions, by Iori to ask a question, or by Catherine to complain about being tired.  
  
"That does it!" said Catherine in the late afternoon. "I can not go further this day."  
  
"Have we made much progress?" Jyou asked.  
  
"We could go a little further," said Armadillomon. "I was hoping we'd make the hot springs by evening."  
  
"Hot springs?" asked Mimi.  
  
"Pools of water that are heated by an underground source," explained Floramon.   
  
"There would not happen to be a resort, would there?" asked Catherine.  
  
"Do they have resorts on this world?" returned Iori.  
  
"We do have resorts," said Gomamon, "but these springs are kind of off the beaten path, far from any of the Digimon towns. We'll have to camp out."  
  
"But it's still a good place to soak and relax," added Palmon.  
  
"A hot soak does sound good. Think you two can hold up for a little longer," Iori asked.  
  
Mimi and Catherine looked at each other, then nodded wearily. The promise of soaking in a hot spring instead of using the survival dome's sanitary facility outweighed their exhaustion.   
  
They trudged on for another half-hour before Armadillomon called for a stop in a small clearing. "So where's the hot spring?" demanded Mimi, her hands on her hips. She glanced around at the forest surrounding them.   
  
"Right over there," said Armadillomon, pointing to a group of palm-like trees and flowered bushes.   
  
Excitedly Mimi and Catherine walked over and parted the foliage. A bubbling pool of water invitingly. Boulders and smooth rocks bordered the edges. "Mon Dieu, how wonderful!" exclaimed Catherine as she stepped forward and dipped her hand into the water.  
  
"Is it safe?" asked Jyou as he adjusted his glasses.  
  
"The water is perfectly safe, though it's warmer towards the center," said Floramon. "I've been here before. It's a good place to soak tired roots."  
  
"All right," said Jyou. He didn't say anything about how much he might like to soak in the hot water himself. "Let's start setting up camp in that clearing where we first stopped, then you ladies can take first go in the spring."  
  
Catherine and Mimi didn't have to be told twice. They returned to the clearing. Everyone set down their packs. The two women managed to contain themselves long enough for the survival domes to be set up. Jyou couldn't help but be amused at how much excitement the idea of soaking in the hot spring brought for the women.  
  
"Don't you want to eat first?" he asked as they were walking into the survival dome.  
  
"I'm too tired to be hungry," said Mimi. "There is a hot spring over there with our names on it." She and Catherine disappeared into their survival dome.   
  
Mimi began rummaging through the packs. "Oh no," she exclaimed. "I don't have a swimsuit!"  
  
"We do not need them. Jyou and Iori said they would wait and go later."  
  
"I don't know if I feel comfortable in such an open place." Mimi pulled out a couple of towels from one of the packs, along with a short, satin robe she had brought as part of her trousseau. Catherine found an old, oversized robe left over from one of the other passengers. They undressed and slipped on the robes. Mimi blushed as she realized how short her robe was.  
  
Catherine led Mimi back out of the survival dome. Mimi tried to hide her embarrassment as she followed the younger girl. She was very aware of Jyou's eyes on her. "Mimi, are you okay? Your face is red," said Iori.  
  
"Um, it's a little warm in the survival dome. Could you be a dear and check the thermostat?" Mimi hustled Catherine along. Palmon and Floramon followed them. "Oh my God I am mortified," said Mimi as they reached the spring. "Did you see how Jyou was staring?"  
  
"Well he was certainly not staring at this old antique," returned Catherine as she shed her robe and slipped into the water. "Mon Dieu, this is heaven."  
  
"I don't understand why you two are acting like this," said Floramon.  
  
"It's a human thing," replied Mimi. "There are certain acceptable standards about males seeing females in particular forms of dress."  
  
"Oh," said Floramon. The Digimon watched as Mimi glanced back towards where the men were, then slipped off her own robe and entered the spring. "Did you understand any of that?" Floramon whispered to Palmon.  
  
"Not one bit." Palmon and Floramon joined the two girls in the pool.   
  
"This is wonderful," sighed Mimi. She sat on a smooth rock under the water. The heat eased her sore, aching muscles. The long hike had been worth it. Relaxing, she closed her eyes. The only thing that could have made it better would be some bath attendants for a massage. Still, this was better than nothing.  
  
"Do you think we will arrive in the village soon?" asked Catherine.  
  
"If we keep walking steadily, we'll be there faster," returned Palmon.  
  
"Are there more springs like this?" Mimi asked, her eyes still closed.  
  
"I don't know," admitted Floramon. "I haven't traveled much in this area previously."  
  
"Me neither," added Palmon.  
  
"There's another spring a couple of days walk from here," said Gomamon.   
  
Mimi's and Catherine's eyes flew open. Gomamaon floated past them. The two women paled.   
  
---  
  
Jyou meticulously arranged the wood into a pile for a fire. Armadillomon had assured them that the trees were not Digimon, so it was safe to gather the deadwood. "Here's the lighter," said Iori as he rummaged through one of the packs.  
  
A loud shriek cut through the forest. Jyou jumped to his feet in alarm. Iori looked up from the firewood. "Catherine and Mimi!" said Jyou as he paled.   
  
The bushes in the direction of the spring began to shake. Gomamon burst through the bushes running as fast as he could. Armadillomon readied himself for battle.  
  
"PERVERT!" shouted Mimi as she dashed into the open. Catherine yelled something in French that no one quite understood. "HOW DARE YOU COME IN WHEN WOMEN ARE BATHING!" The irate women threw rocks at the Digimon, who dashed behind Jyou. Mimi and Catherine froze when they saw Jyou and Iori standing there staring at them. In their haste, the women had hastily grabbed their towels and wrapped them around themselves. When they realized their state of dress, they gave a short shriek and dashed back into the woods.  
  
"That was weird," said Armadillomon, scratching his head with his paw.  
  
"What do you make of it Jyou?" asked Iori. "Jyou?" Iori turned his head to find Jyou had fainted.   
  
"Get him offa me!" complained Gomamon, who had the misfortune to be in precisely the location Jyou's body collapsed.  
  
-To Be Continued-  
  
Author's Notes: Finally got another chapter to this story posted. It's going a bit slower than I had planned. But here it is.  



End file.
